No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
#1
DVD Talk God
Thread Starter
No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
Trailer
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DOjj07EuO50" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
An intense international thriller, "No Escape" centers on an American businessman (Wilson) as he and his family settle into their new home in Southeast Asia. Suddenly finding themselves in the middle of a violent political uprising, they must frantically look for a safe escape as rebels mercilessly attack the city. Directed by John Erick Dowdle and written together with his brother Drew, "No Escape" stars Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan and Lake Bell.
Trailer was posted a few days ago. Comes out September 2nd.
Interesting trailer. I'm not used to seeing Owen Wilson serious.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DOjj07EuO50" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
An intense international thriller, "No Escape" centers on an American businessman (Wilson) as he and his family settle into their new home in Southeast Asia. Suddenly finding themselves in the middle of a violent political uprising, they must frantically look for a safe escape as rebels mercilessly attack the city. Directed by John Erick Dowdle and written together with his brother Drew, "No Escape" stars Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan and Lake Bell.
Trailer was posted a few days ago. Comes out September 2nd.
Interesting trailer. I'm not used to seeing Owen Wilson serious.
#2
DVD Talk Legend
Re: No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
Sounds good to me. I like Brosnan a lot and it should be interesting seeing Owen Wilson in a more serious role.
#3
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
Thought Wilson brought some personality to the action hero role with Behind Enemy Lines. I think this looks good. I love when actors stretch their legs.
#6
Re: No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
AMC Stubs® members, how far would you go for the ones you love? Invite a guest of your choice to an exclusive FREE screening of NO ESCAPE on Wednesday, August 19 at 7:00 p.m.
#8
#9
DVD Talk God
Thread Starter
Re: No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
I got the free screening offer from AMC too. I think I will sign up to see it.
#11
DVD Talk Hero
Re: No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
So will this be another Pierce Brosnan straight-to-VOD movie like Survivor?
#12
DVD Talk Legend
Re: No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
It's being released to theaters on August 26th. It'll likely have a short run, however.
#13
DVD Talk Hero
Re: No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
Ah, so November Man style. Actually I posted that last comment without watching the trailer, I've been seeing ads for this on TV constantly lately.
#14
DVD Talk Legend
Re: No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
It looks like a movie that comes out in Jan or Feb
#15
DVD Talk Legend
Re: No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
#16
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
Avoid at all costs.
Typical shyster Weinsteins give turds like this a wide theatrical release while films like Snowpiercer are relegated to a limited release and VOD.
Spoiler:
Typical shyster Weinsteins give turds like this a wide theatrical release while films like Snowpiercer are relegated to a limited release and VOD.
#17
DVD Talk God
Thread Starter
Re: No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
I saw the AMC stubs screening tonight. The AMC theater I went to recently remodeled and it was assigned seating and TV recliner seats with a foot rest and lots of leg room. Very comfortable viewing experience. It was a pretty packed house. Although one guy and his wife literally walked in 45 minutes into the movie.
I enjoyed it even though it's very unpleasant and the violence is pretty sadistic. I thought the movie was very intense and moves at a pretty frenetic pace. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I had to go the bathroom during a key scene, but didn't want to leave my seat.
The movie takes place in an unnamed Southeast Asian country, but it's obvious it was shot in Thailand and I could distinguish the foreign actors were speaking Thai.
The motives for the coupe as depicted in the movie obviously were a little bit exaggerated, but that type of crazy violence is real in many parts of Southeast Asia. There are many separatist groups who have targeted violence specifically against foreigners. To me it looked like Wilson's family was staying in a smaller city, which I think is believable for something like that to happen.
I just glanced at the No Escape Facebook page and it seems like most who saw it tonight enjoyed it. I don't really see any scathing criticism that ^^^ Robert gave. I thought Wilson did a good job for a guy known mostly for comedy. I found him pretty believable as the Dad and he had good chemistry with Lake Bell.
I do sort of agree with Robert on Brosnan's character. Very odd supporting character.
If you are a fan of the action thriller genre and have 1 hr 45 minutes to spare for a weekend matinee, I would check it out.
I enjoyed it even though it's very unpleasant and the violence is pretty sadistic. I thought the movie was very intense and moves at a pretty frenetic pace. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I had to go the bathroom during a key scene, but didn't want to leave my seat.
The movie takes place in an unnamed Southeast Asian country, but it's obvious it was shot in Thailand and I could distinguish the foreign actors were speaking Thai.
The motives for the coupe as depicted in the movie obviously were a little bit exaggerated, but that type of crazy violence is real in many parts of Southeast Asia. There are many separatist groups who have targeted violence specifically against foreigners. To me it looked like Wilson's family was staying in a smaller city, which I think is believable for something like that to happen.
I just glanced at the No Escape Facebook page and it seems like most who saw it tonight enjoyed it. I don't really see any scathing criticism that ^^^ Robert gave. I thought Wilson did a good job for a guy known mostly for comedy. I found him pretty believable as the Dad and he had good chemistry with Lake Bell.
I do sort of agree with Robert on Brosnan's character. Very odd supporting character.
If you are a fan of the action thriller genre and have 1 hr 45 minutes to spare for a weekend matinee, I would check it out.
Last edited by DJariya; 08-20-15 at 01:17 AM.
#18
Re: No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
I was looking forward to seeing this and would've saw it next week.
I agree with Robert's review. It was bland and generic to me. It was overly dramatic and forced. Especially the ending where
The theatre was laughing at a lot of parts where they shouldn't have been. The scene where they throw the kids across the building is as cheesy as it looks in the commercials. That should not have been done in slow motion. It made it look completely fake... and laughable.
If people thought the kids in Jurassic World were dumb and annoying, the girls in this are worse.
Brosnan is the best part of the movie and completely wasted.
I'm glad I saw it for free.
I agree with Robert's review. It was bland and generic to me. It was overly dramatic and forced. Especially the ending where
Spoiler:
The theatre was laughing at a lot of parts where they shouldn't have been. The scene where they throw the kids across the building is as cheesy as it looks in the commercials. That should not have been done in slow motion. It made it look completely fake... and laughable.
If people thought the kids in Jurassic World were dumb and annoying, the girls in this are worse.
Brosnan is the best part of the movie and completely wasted.
I'm glad I saw it for free.
#19
DVD Talk Hero
Re: No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
#20
Re: No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
I didn't really enjoy it either... then again, I'm an American born Thai and man does this movie try way too hard to avoid saying where they are specifically. Right down to lazily changing Thai characters to avoid leglible signs. Of course, the police are carrying Cambodian shields because they just have to make sure they aren't identifying a specific country.
Funny enough, the film starts with mixing Thai, Laos, and Cambodian languages but by the end they just said "eh, screw it." Then it's all just Thai and with all the effort, they didn't even bother to alter the Tot 3 switch on the rooftop.
Funny enough, the film starts with mixing Thai, Laos, and Cambodian languages but by the end they just said "eh, screw it." Then it's all just Thai and with all the effort, they didn't even bother to alter the Tot 3 switch on the rooftop.
#22
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
Re: No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
No Escape Is Exploitation Slop
A friend caught No Escape some time ago, he said early last week. “How is it?” I asked. The first thing he said was “Well, the plot is ludicrous.” Then he turned around and said it’s not so bad in this and that way: “I didn’t mind it, it didn’t bother me that much,” etc. But you said the plot is ludicrous, I reminded. “Yeah, well, it is but…”
I saw No Escape last week at the West L.A. Landmark. I’m not going to explain the story — trailers have been playing online for six months. Hordes of Asian fiends looking to murder all white tourists in a nameless country that borders Vietnam, forcing poor Owen Wilson, his wife Lake Bell and their two daughters to run and hide and do whatever it takes to survive.
I got through it but it wasn’t easy. When I came out the publicist asked me what I thought. “It’s awful,’ I said. “Ohh, no!,” she said. “Wait…you’re telling me you think it’s okay? That it has redeeming qualities? Because I don’t believe you.”
When I got home I wrote this guy who told me about it and said, “Well, you were right about the plot being ludicrous.” No Escape is probably the worst film I’ve seen all year. Alongside Vacation, I mean. It’s easily the worst movie that poor Owen has ever been in. Pure exploitation dogshit. And poor Lake Bell! I felt terrible for her.
What a humiliation for these two! Smart, clever actors who write and know the world and have been around and are leading lives of curiosity and discovery, and then they agree to act in a piece of shit like this. Wow!
The director is John Eric Dowdle, who comes from horror. He’s a 41 year-old exploitation guy — a step or two down from Eli Roth. He and his brother Drew wrote this piece of shit. Five years ago Dowdle directed a not-too-awful Shyamalan-produced horror film called Devil, which mostly took place in a high-rise elevator. All I can say is that Devil was a far more intelligent thing than No Escape. When I came out of No Escape I was telling myself that Doodle’s instincts are basically that of an animal’s.
Anyway Owen and Lake are suddenly being told to run here and there and hide and sweat and squirm and act like scared idiots. All Lake did was whimper and cry with her mouth open and look terrified. Her character had the emotional constitution of a five year-old.
This is what happens when you have kids, like Owen and Lake do. You do these kinds of films for the money so you can send your kids to a good college, and you just hope the movies won’t turn out too badly.
The whole crowd laughed when Owen threw the first daughter across the alley to the roof of the other building in slow-motion. Ah-hah-hah…whoo! Then they started chortling and tittering off and on for the rest of it. Like them, I began to realize that the only way to get through this thing was to wait for the laughs and talk back to the screen and throw pieces of candy and balled-up napkins at the screen.
No Escape is funny here and there, but it’s not funny enough.
Pierce Brosnan is the best thing about it, but are you telling me that a grizzled intelligence guy is going to tell a guy he hardly knows that it’s all his fault, and that the people are only rising up because U.S. shitheel corporations are in cahoots with the elite of their country?
“What was it about this film that you felt had redeeming values?,” I wrote to the guy who said it wasn’t all bad. “You said it had some half-good things. You need to explain that to me.”
I’ve said this a couple of times in the column but No Escape caters to the fears of every whitebread moron who’s afraid of visiting anyplace the least bit exotic or even a wee bit unfamiliar, and who prefers to go on Carnival Cruises and visit Disneyland France and Cancun and Club Med hideaways.
The bad guys in the film are anti-government, American-tourist-hating revolutionaries — one third ISIS, one third Shining Path, one-third Khymer Rouge from mid to late 1970s Cambodia. Kill all white man. Machete, gun, any way you can. But do it stupid.
This is the kind of movie that makes you feel nauseated and humiliated. You want to escape before the closing credits start and hide your face and not look at anyone else who was in the theatre with you. You just want to run down to the garage and get the hell out of there.
#23
Inane Thread Master, 2018 TOTY
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Re: No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan

A technically accomplished, morally rank slab of cultural exploitation ...
Full Review… | August 24, 2015
Justin Chang
Variety
Top Critic
Full Review… | August 24, 2015
Justin Chang
Variety
Top Critic
#24
Re: No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
We watched this a couple nights ago and we both liked it. It was pretty fucking intense throughout and I liked seeing Owen Wilson in a different role. I think it's worth checking out.
#25
DVD Talk Hero
Re: No Escape (2015) -- S: Owen Wilson, Pierce Brosnan
I mostly agree with this. As a piece of storytelling it's lacking, as a brisk thriller it's pretty solid.